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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Pope Benedict finally means business on child abuse in Ireland

Posted on Monday, May 31, 2010 at 09:13 PM

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The Pope finally means business on child abuse in Ireland.

That is the only possible response to the names released yesterday to effectively act as overseers of the Irish church and investigate every possible angle of the sex abuse scandals that rocked the Irish faithful .

Men like Sean O'Malley of Boston, Cormac Murphy formerly of Westminster and current church heads in Boston, Toronto and Ottawa are very serious figures in the church.

Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, will investigate the Irish seminaries as well as the broader issue of priestly formation. Two nuns were appointed to investigate religious institutes for women.

What is clear is that the Vatican now, at last, fully understands that they can no longer allow even the slightest perception that they are not dealing with the pedophile crisis in as thorough a way as possible.

Garry O’Sullivan, the editor of The Irish Catholic, Ireland’s leading Catholic weekly newspaper, stated the overseers were more significant than he expected.

“This shows Rome means business,” he said. “The fact that there are two cardinals and three archbishops is a sign of intent. It is a high-powered group and the scope appears to have widened.” he told The New York Times.

Rome means business but has it all come too late?

The Irish church leadership with the honorable exception of current Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin have disgraced themselves with their cover up and then lack of action on this issue when it was finally exposed.

The faithful in Ireland have been deserting in droves and there is talk of even wider inquiries covering every diocese in Ireland to finally root out all the pedophile priests.

At least the bleeding may now stop with the appointment of the eminent men from the leading church dioceses in North America and Britain.

Not coincidentally most are of Irish origin. They will need all the luck of the Irish to put the church there back together again.

News / Pope names Boston Cardinal O'Malley to oversee Dublin diocese sex abuse issues / Click here

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hello123 | Jun 08, 2010, 09:05 AM EDT

I don't think we should make the mistake that I once made - judging the Church by it's members. There are bad and michievious people and clergy in our midst. But the Catholic Church is bigger than all the inernal wrongs made by man himself. Christ gave us our church - it is the one true church

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jacersisityourself | Jun 07, 2010, 09:29 PM EDT

One day, Portia, lovely person that you are like many on ICentral, you’re going to wake up to an unfathomable undeniable truth. You should prepare yourself for that lovely moment of your life. And then you go, you go and tell everyone...

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jacersisityourself | Jun 07, 2010, 09:29 PM EDT

Portia777 – it saddens me that you write as you do in relation to the One True Church, founded by none other than Jesus Christ, the Messiah than many deny but most know. Rome is the resting place, the seat of rest of Peter, the unfortunate family fisherman, appointed by Christ out of the twelve that He had chosen to be the rock of His faith in his Father in Heaven, the place that all Christians follow the road to. Peter rests in peace there.

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Liamkeyes | Jun 07, 2010, 05:03 PM EDT

It's not before it's time. The Children were abused on all fronts. Priests, Nuns, Lay Teachers(some were alcoholics, beating kids with a strap or a Bamboo cane) From my standpoint, Ireland was a sick society back in the 40's and 50's where the Teachers had Carte Blanche to beat the young kids. Who would have believed them? about the sexual and physical abuse. LITTLE CHILDREN SHOULD BE SEEN, HEARD, LOVED AND LISTENED TO.

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Portia777 | Jun 06, 2010, 08:48 AM EDT

What business has Rome in a sovereign country Eire? Romans destroyed our country, pillaged our sacred sites, murdered our women and children at Tara-and we believe they mean business? what kind of business?

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Portia777 | Jun 06, 2010, 08:45 AM EDT

Yes, he has a large broom to sweep all he can under the carpet.

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barneyjo | Jun 03, 2010, 06:31 AM EDT

I have no wish to see the Church in which I was raised perish. It is dying and sadly by its own hand. I am not reliant on Irish Central or any other branch of media to tell me that. I see it with my own eyes, and I feel it within my being. Increasingly it is fragmented, and riven with disunity (again I see this myself) And, as Scripture says "A house divided against itself cannot stand"

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hollabackgurl | Jun 02, 2010, 07:27 AM EDT

The Pope is concerned and taking steps now? They're sending two cardinals and three bishops to investigate? Is this a lost episode of Father Ted? Having the Church investigate itself worked so well in the past.

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jacersisityourself | Jun 02, 2010, 05:57 AM EDT

It always disturbs me when Niall or his sub-editors make unfounded statements on ICentral. The faithful in Ireland have NOT been deserting in droves. A sizeable number of people have, yes, but not in the droves he claims. Most of those will be back once they see through the fallacy of those who lead the call to desert. I pray that they too will see the Light of God in the true Catholic Church in Ireland and all the work its good priests and nuns carry out in the name of Christ.

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jacersisityourself | Jun 02, 2010, 05:47 AM EDT

At least something is going to happen rather than nothing. What are the bets that the Apostolic Visitation will find that the roots and branches of the Catholic Church in Ireland are alive and well despite the evils of a few? Even good trees need some pruning.

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barneyjo | Jun 02, 2010, 03:35 AM EDT

To quote from Patrick Pearse; "Too late- all is changed and changed utterly!!" The (still practicing) Faithful in Ireland will no longer submit in blind obedience to revised dogma without questioning the motivations and influences behind it!!

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KathyCallahan | Jun 01, 2010, 01:10 PM EDT

Why isn't Diarmuid Martin the point person?

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KathyCallahan | Jun 01, 2010, 01:08 PM EDT

It's been a very long haul since you posted your first opinion and all of the very terrible sexual of minors abuse news! You have done yeoman's work and azll of the bloggers of course...The pope and bishops heard you loud and clear, eventually

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bcoc1124 | Jun 01, 2010, 12:02 PM EDT

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin can teach Cardinal O;Malley much about "doing the right thing". Martin should be the "point" person for the universal church. Heads would roll - as they should! Without that, the church has no credibility.

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ritmomente | Jun 01, 2010, 11:47 AM EDT

The Church will survive. It has nothing to do with men or women priests. There are a few American cardinals (Law and Bevelacqua), not to mention the Irish head of the Catholic Church that need to be laicized.

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